120 Miscellaneous, 



length of its base is a little greater than the postorbital part of the 

 head. None of its spines are much longer than the eye. 



The distance of the anal origin from the head is about | the 

 length of the head. The rays of the soft dorsal and the anal are 

 not much longer than the dorsal spines. 



The caudal is about | as long as the head, and its middle rays 

 are somewhat the longest. 



The colour in spirits is a pale yellowish brown. The sides show 

 traces of several small pale blotches, and the caudal and pectoral 

 have a few very small dark blotches, those on the caudal forming 

 interrupted bands. Across the back are faint indications of about 

 five pale cross bands. 



The species is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Gill, in appreciation of 

 his researches upon the mail-cheeked fishes. 



Three individuals have been taken as the types of the species. 

 The largest is 46 and the smallest 38 millimetres in length. — 

 Proceedings National Museum, vol. xii. No. 787. Advance sheet 

 communicated by the Author. 



Model of the " British Marine Area.'''' 

 By the Rev. Canon Nokman, M.A., D.C.L., P.E.S., &c. 



Since writing my notes on the " British Marine Area," which 

 appeared in the ' Annals ' for May (pp. 345-353), I have learned 

 that a model of sea around the British Islands had been executed 

 by Mr. James B. Jordan, of the Mineral Statistics Branch, Home 

 Office, and was in the South Kensington Museum of Science 

 and Art. That model I have now had the pleasure of seeing. 

 It has been carefully and well executed, and cannot but prove 

 very instructive to those who examine it. At the same time it 

 necessarily leaves much to be desired. The executor has un- 

 avoidably been obliged to draw on his imagination in filling in 

 many details, where no soundings had been taken from which to 

 work his model. The most important place which thus lacks accu- 

 racy is the district to the west of the north of Ireland and south of 

 Scotland, and thence to the Rockall Bank. Now the hydrographer 

 in his chart has not ventured to define the 1000-fathom boundary 

 even roughly at this part; the dotted line which indicates that 

 depth stops abruptly opposite Donegal Bay, and no attempt is made 

 to trace it further to the north. The modeller could not thus stop, 

 and has been obliged to supply the deficiency as weU as he could. 

 It is just in this part that we have one of the most interesting 

 features in the outline of submarine Europe, where a tongue of the 

 great abyss approaches nearest to our shores. The exact form of 

 this tongue and of the slopes which surround it should be accurately 

 surveyed. But while this is the most important district which 

 awaits elucidation, it is at the same time much to be wished that 

 a far more extensive series of soundings should be taken in 500 to 

 1500 fathoms all round the western coast. 



May 27, 1890. 



